Steering-coupling for automobiles.



J. G. PORTER. STEERING COUPLING FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPucATloN msn Aums, |916.

f 1,222,666. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

W /l/ sm f 277 .9: l @wud/wko@ if y wa. Fay/rw TOEN GL PORT-ER, 0F BRIDGEPORT,`NEBRAS KA.

STEERING-COU'PLING FOB AUTOMOBXLES.

i,aaaacc.

pplication filed August 25, 1916. Serial No. 116,857.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, .'loiN G. lon'rna, a

citizen of the United States, residing at liriilgeport, in the county ot Mori-il, State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Steering-Coupling VFor Automobiles; and ll do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperl'ains to malte and use the saine.

rihis invention relates to an improved steering' coupler connecting.;- the rear axle olf a front machine and the .Forward axle of a trailing machine.

`When an automobile is disabled, and attached to another automobile for hauling;l the same to a repair shop, it requires an operator, to steer the saine. rlflnaet'orel one ot the objects of the invention is to provide an improved, simple, eilicient and practical device of 'the foregoing` nature, whereby` as the forward machine turns to the right or the leftthe front wheels of a rear machine are correspondingly turned` h v means of iinproved connections between the coupler and the connecting rod oic the knuckle lioints ol" the front wheels oi. the rear machine.`

In practical fields the details ot' construction may necessitate alterations1 falling within the scope 0f what is claimed.

The invention comprises further 'features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure i ,is a plan view showingthe rear axle of the forward machine, and the front axle ol" a rear machine7 illustrating the steering coupler connecting the two axles.

Fig'. 2 is a lsectional view on line 2 2 ot' Fig. l.

Fig. Fig. 1.

lig. l` is an enlarged detail view showingr 3 is a sectional View on line 3 of the connections ci. the coupler to the rear axle of the forward machine.

Referring more especia'll)7 to the drawings, 1 designates the casing Vfor the rear axle- (not shown) of the rear Wheels 2 of the tor- Ward machine, which casing 'l is provided with a central enlarged casing 3 designed to inclose the transmission gearing (not shown) of thercar axle. ,The coupler comprises the bar fl, to the forward end of which the plates 5 are bolted as shown at 6. The forward end each plate 5 is provided with `Specification of Letters Patent,

a clamping block having a semi-cylindrical bearing;` 8, so as to receive one side 0f the casing l, that is, when the block 7 is placed in position. Additional clamping blocks 9 (which are reversible) are clamped against the other cylindrical surface ol"v the casing l, and to the blocks 7 by means of the bolts 1 0.

The plates 5 arc arranged upon oppositel faces of the casina' 3 ot the transmission gearing `(not shown). As shown in Fig, 2, the rear end ot the bar l is biturcated shown at ll, to receive the tongue 12 of the plate 1.3, the rear end ot which is provided with laterally extending' extensions 14,

` which are arched or seniiecircular in cross section, so as to fit and receive the upper portion of the cylindrical axle 15 of the front wheels 1C oi' the rear machine o1' automobile. The plate 13 has a seini'cireular bearing alined with the semi-circular curvature ot' the extensions 14, sc as to receive the axle 15, A seiniscircular plate 17 fits thc under cylindrical surface ot the axle 15, and is clamped in place and to the extensions 'l-L by the U-shaped bolts 18, and the nuts 19. It is to be observed that by means ot the bar 4 and the plate 13, a front and rear machine may be pivotally united, by means of the bolt 20 which passes through the bifurcated end of the bar l and the ear or lug' 12) and the nut 21. The bolt 20, however, also passes through the bar 92, which is bolted by several bolts or rivets 23 to the bar l. it is to be noted that the bar 22 is fixed to the bar fl forward oi the bolt 20, and'has its rear end portion extending beyond the axle 15 and has a slot 2-l, which receives the pin or lug 25, which is threaded at '2G in the coupling,n sleeve or casing 27. This coupling casing or sleeve 27 (which rectangular in cross section) receives the adjacent ends ot` the two sections 25 of the connecting` bar 29, which connect-s the rearwardly extending arms 30 oi the knuckle joints 3l ot the front Wheels 16 of the rear machine orautoinobile.' The pivotal connection of the arms 80 and the sections Q8 are designed by the numeral The sections of the connecting rod or bar 29 are secured in the coupling casing or sleeve 27, by-ineans out the set bolts 33. |lhe connecting` bar 29 of the style shown in the drawing is a false or temporary substitute for the nsu.

As before stated, it is to be noted that the bar 22 is connected to the bar forward of the pivot bolt 20, so that when 'the forward connecting bar.V

`or automobile, l chine iria direction corresponding to' the din lin one direction or the other', thereby turning the front wheels 16 of the rear machine so as to guide the rear Inarection 1n which the forward or front machine is traveling. It is to be observed that the plates 5 areconnected to the casing 1,

lso as to permit the two machines or automobiles to accommodate themselves to the unevennesses in the road.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 4A steering coupler between a towing automobile and a trailer automobile, comprising a bar having pivotal connections to the rear aille casing of the towing machine so as to pivot vertically, a plate having clamping vconnections to the front4 axle of the rear machine and provided with a forward eX- tension ear or lug, the rear end of said bar having a. bifurcation to receivet said ear or lug, a .pivot extending through the bifurcated end of the bar'and the ear, a second bar connected to the rear portion of the first bar forward of said. pivotJ and extending rearwardly beyond the front axle of the trailer machine, a false or substitute connecting bar connecting the rear arms of the knuckle joints of` the front wheels of the trailer machine consisting of two sections, a sleeve connecting the two sections of the connecting bar, and a. slot and pin connection between the sleeve and the rear end of the second barn In testimony whereof 'I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. PORTER.

Witnesses:

EMMA L. LYON, FLORENGE T. CRAM. 

